Method of restoring journal wedge



Nov. 7, 1961 E. R. HAUER ET AL 3,007,242

METHOD OF RESTORING JOURNAL WEDGE Filed March 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 7, 1961 E. R. HAUER ETAL METHOD OF RESTORING JOURNAL WEDGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1958 Nov. 7, 1961 E. R. HAUER ETAL 7, 4

METHOD OF RESTORING JOURNAL WEDGE Filed March 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 M 738 %WW W////%% F d. S ates.v P e Ofiice 3,007,242 Patented Nov. 7,. 1961 r 5,0 1,242 METHOD- OF RESTORING JOURNAL WEDGE Edward R.'-Haue'r, Richmond, Va., and James T. Smith, Chicago, Ill., assignors to KeystoneRailway Equip- J .ment' Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 727,760

1 Claim. (Cl. 29-401) (invention relates to 'railway freight car trucks and 'more particularly to the journal bearings for such trucks.

A 'standard bearing, as'specified by the American Association' of Railroads, comprises a brass having a particylindrical' surface resting on the axle and supporting a'i'we'dge','the iner-end of which is engaged by an up- Standing lug on the inner end of the brass. The inner and outer ends of the brass are engageable with shoulders ofthe" axle, and the outer end of the wedge is engageable with a stop formed within the journal box which con tains' lubricating means for the axle. The roof of the box is supported by the top of the wedge through which load is transmitted to the axle.

Thetop of the wedge is crowned on an axis approximately perpendicular to the rotational axis of the axle, in order to facilitate relative pivotal movement between the journal box and the axle, as for example when the truck proceeds along a curved section of track under which conditions the side frame which carries the journal boxes at one side of the truck runs ahead of the side frame at the opposite side of the truck.

' Moreover the crowned top of the wedge equalizes the load transmitted by the side frame to the axles, so that the load is substantially equalized throughout the length of the brass, despite swinging action of the side frame as normally occurs in railway service.

According to specifications of the American Association 'of' Railroads, the wedge must be replaced when a predetermined amount of wear on the top of the wedge increases its area of contact with the underside of the journalboxroof to a degree that impairs equalized loading'of the axle and proper pivotal action thereof with respect to the journal box. Failure to replace the wedge under these conditions results in improper truck action and can cause hot boxes and even burning-off of the axle due to localized pressure thereon by the brass.

j 'For thisreason, it has been customary in the art to inspect the wedges whenever the trucks are dismantled for service in a car shop and to discard wedges which liavebecome excessively worn in service. Inasmuch as the discarded wedges have relatively little scrap value, replacement thereof is a substantial item of expense for thefrailroads, and the possibility of repairing the Wedges has been disregarded due to the belief that repair would cost. as much or more than replacement.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to deviseanovel method of repairing the crowned surface 'ff-iarailwayjournal wedge after excessive wear in service. a

I, A more specific objectof the invention is to restore the "crowned-top surface of the wedge without adding metal-to the W'edge.-- v

more specificobject of the invention is to forge theiavorn .we'dge to restore its crowned surface and to obtain the necessarymetal for that purpose by displacing metal from the underside of the Wedge at a point or points :whereat the wedge does not transmitvertical load from the side frame to the brass.

The..foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional 'view of a railway freight car-journal box containing anaxle and journal means therefor including a new wedge with a condemn-' able worn condition indicated by dot and dash lines;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of FIG-' URE l; 2

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal central vertical sectional View of a worn wedge and the dies for restoring the and the modified dies for restoring the crowned wedge surface which supports the journal box; 7 FIGURE 8 is a sectional view comparable to FIGURE 7 with the dies closed;

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the restored wedge after i removal thereof from the dies, shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, and

FIGURE 10 is an end view of the wedge shown in FIGURE 9 with the wedge shown partly in section on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to FIGURES l and 2, a conventional railway freight car journal box 10 is illustrated as an integral part of a side frame generally designated 12, although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the box 10 may be separable from the side frame as in many wellknown designs of freight car trucks. It will also be understood that the side frame 12 comprises a journal box 10 at each end thereof and that the side frame illustrated is one of a pair which resiliently support a bolster (not shown) upon which the car body (not shown) is mounted in the usual manner.

Thus the load of the car body is transmitted to the side frame and thence to an axle 14 through a wedge 16 and brass 18. The top of the wedge, having sides 17, is crowned at 20, preferably as a segment of cylinder struck from an axis (not shown) perpendicular to =.the rotational axis of the axle 14. As heretofore mendistributing the load of the side frame from end to end of the brass. The crowned surface 20 also facilitates relative pivoting of the journalbox 10 and axle 14 on a substantially vertical axis when one frame runs ahead of the other, as for example when the car proceeds around a curved section of track. This action is wellknown in the art and is highly desirable in reduction of wheel wear and avoidance of possible derailment.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the roof.

21 of the journal box 10 is formed with a depending lug 22 to prevent loss of the wedge 16 by abutment with a,

lug 24 integrally formed on its outer end. The inner end of the wedge is interlocked with a lug 26 on the inner end of the brass 18 which is formed with an arcuate inner end surface 27 generally complementary to a shoulder 28 of the axle, so that outboard movement of the axle" is limited by engagement of shoulder 28 with surface 27 and engagement of wedge lug 24 with journal box lug 22.

wedge 16 comprises upwardly converging diagonal guide surfaces 33 engageable with complementary guide surfaces of the brass 18 to maintain proper load contact between the wedge and brass as hereinafter described. It will be understood that surfaces 33 and the mating surfaces of the brass 18 do not, function to transmit any substantial vertical load from the journal to the brass 18.

According to regulations of the American Association of Railways, the wedge 16 must be condemned and discarded when a predetermined amount of wear occurs on the crowned surface 20 which, as is generally known in the art, tends to wear flat in service.

As heretofore noted, the wearing of a substantial fiat area on the crowned surface 20 of the wedge 16, as indicated at 32 by a dot and dash line in FIGURE 1, and by a solid line in FIGURE 3, not only interferes with pivotal action between the journal box and axle on a vertical axis but also causes concentration of load from the brass to the axle along a small pressure area. This condition not only can cause a hot box resulting in burning of the waste and lubricant within the box but, in severe cases, can result in burning off the end of the axle, an event which can cause derailment with consequent damage and loss of life.

For these reasons, the railroads have been alert to replace worn wedges which have heretofore been discarded because there was no known use for them and no feasible and economical manner of repairing such wedges.

According to the invention, we have discovered that such a wedge can be economically reformed, thereby restoring the crowned top surface to new condition without changing the function of the wedge in any manner and with a change in structure that has no effect on the manner in which load is transmitted from the'wedgeto the brass.

. Referring to FIGURES l and 2, it will be seen that the brass may be provided with a conventional recess 34 in its top surface 36 upon which the wedge is seated. This recess divides the area of load contact between the wedge and brass into two spaced areas 36a and 36b, for the purpose of preventing warping of the brass, as is well known in the art, and has been accepted as standard practice by the American Association of Railroads, although it is also permissible to eliminate the recess 34.

Inasmuch as there is no load contact between the brass and wedge in the region of the recess 34, we have dis covered that sufficient wedge metal can be displaced from the wedge in this region or from surfaces 33 to restore the worn crowned surface 20 thereof in a forging operation without materially affecting the strength or function of the wedge.

The preferred manner in which the wedge is restored to new condition is shown in FIGURE 3, wherein it will be seen that the worn wedge 16 is positioned within a die 31 having a surface 35 corresponding to the standard configuration of a new crowned surface 20. The die 31 is adapted to mate with another die 37, and the internal surfaces of the dies conform precisely to the new configuration of a standard wedge 16 in every respect except that the die 37 comprises punch elements 39 adapted to displace from surfaces 33 at least enough metal to replace that which has been worn from the crowned surface 20 and from the sides 17. Thus, when the dies are closed from their open position, shown in FIGURE 3, the wedge 16 is restored to new condition, which differs from its original new condition only in that recesses 41 have been formed in the guide surfaces 33. Flash metal extruded from between, the dies may be trimmed from the restored wedge in the usual manner.

The foregoing method of restoring a worn wedge is particularly applicable to an arrangement in which the brass is not relieved along its vertical load surface as at 34, and it may be noted that excessive and peculiar wear on top of the wedge has been attributed to the recess 34 so that there may be an increasing tendency to eliminate this recess 34, which is not necessary to a standard brass construction. Moreover, it should be noted that approximately two-thirds of the displaced metal is in regions of the wedge spaced from load areas 36a and 36b.

It will hereinafter be explained that a modified method of restoring a worn wedge may be utilized in accordance with the teaching of the invention where the recess 34 is desired in the brass.

Such a modified manner in which the wedge is restored to new condition according to the invention is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. FIGURE 7 shows a condemned wedge 16 with its crowned surface worn fiat at 32. The wedge is positioned within a die 38 having a concave surface 40 corresponding to the standard configuration of a new crowned surface 20. The die is adapted to mate with a die 42 and the internal surfaces of the dies conform to the new configuration of wedge 16 in every respect except that the die 42 comprises a punch segment 44 adapted to displace at least enough metal to replace that which has been worn from the crowned surface 20. Thus, when the dies are closed, as in FIGURE 8, the wedge is restored to new condition which differs from its original new condition only in that a recess 46 has been formed between the ends of the wedge 16 to register with the recess 34 in the brass 18. a

It is preferred that the die segment 44 be of suflicient volume to displace more than enough metal necessary for restoration of a worn crowned surface 20 in the worst possible worn condition of a wedge. This results in forming flash metal at 48 between the dies, and the flash metal is then trimmed from the restored wedge in any desired manner as by a trimming die.

Referring to FIGURE 6, wherein the outline of the die punch segment 44 is superimposed on the brass 18, shown in top plan view, it will be seen that the recess 46 in the wedge 16 formed by the die segment 44 registers with the recess 34 in the brass 18 and is smaller in area than the brass recess 18 so that the total area of contact at 36a and 36b with a restored wedge is exactly the same as with a new wedge, and distribution of load from the wedge to the brass is not altered in any manner whatsoever by restoration of a wedge according to the invention. In this connection, it may be noted that the area of recess 34 is not more than, and preferably less, than one-half the total of areas 36a and 36b, which are approximately equal in area.

It may be further noted that there has been considerable agitation in the railroad industry for a reduction in the radius on which the crowned surface 20 is formed, for the purpose of facilitating and prolonging proper functioning of the wedge. If such a change in wedge construction is adopted as standard by the American Association of Railroads, it will be possible to convert the present style wedges to new style wedges with such a reduced radius by the practice of the invention as heretofore described, with a die surface 40 struck from the reduced radius.

Thus, it will be understood that there has been devised a novel and economical method for repairing a worn journal box wedge to restore or reform the worn crowned contour thereof without adding any metal to the wedge and without affecting its function. .1

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to specific embodiments of structure, it" will be understood, nevertheless, that numerous modifications and variations are susceptible of being incorporated without departure from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended for an understanding of this invention to be limited by the foregoing description nor by the illustrations in the annexed drawings, except as indicated in the hereinafter appended claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

A method of restoring a worn crowned top area of a malleable railway journal wedge having a bottom surface extending continuously from end to end thereof for contact with one or more load areas of an axle brass to transmit vertical load thereto, said wedge having surfaces converging upwardly toward said bottom surface to guidably engage the brass, said method comprising providing a female die having a crowned die surface of the shape to which the worn crowned surface of the wedge is to be reformed, placing the wedge into the female die cavity with the worn crowned surface adjacent said crowned die surface and pressing a male die into the bottom surface of said wedge to cause the metal of the wedge to flow into continuous contact with the crowned die surface and thereby assume the desired crowned shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,932,376 Nyberg Oct. 24, 1933 2,034,043 Langford Mar. 17, 1936 2,090,481 Langford Aug. 17, 1937 2,375,470 Hill May 8, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,392 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1921 

